no sweat paul, wish I could chip in with some actual commits, 

design-wise I would encourage you to "bring out the people" in the project, focus on existing organizations (eg literally make their logos prominent, but also clearly explain their roles, concrete events that are coming up, etc...)

PS I love that you are not doing the "typical crisis" stuff since that can be very high risk. I always like to see these diverse long-tail community oriented sites. 

IMO the key with Ushahidi design is just to set expectations clearly, and to focus on people involved.

c


On Jan 24, 2013, at 11:52 AM, paul baines <baines.paul@...> wrote:

hi chris - good points.

i will definitely re-work the opening text on my next edit - you're right - i need clear direction on what to do and why.

this deployment is not a typical 'crisis' map like other ones. in the future it could be enabled for direct campaigns, but for now it's a collective naming/visioning site for a great lakes commons. and this work is connected to a network of folks across the great lakes region also working on this common goal.

hope that make more sense. big thanks for the feedback. any more is welcome too.
cheers,
paul

On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 1:45 AM, Chris Blow <cblow@...> wrote:
Hi, your map's looking good; I don't have any development advice, but I would recommend focusing on copywriting.

Can you rephrase the top section so it is shorter and clearer? 

I just came across this link on a mailing list and I only have a few minutes to spare, what is the essential information and what should I submit? The current language is pretty cool but not very direct to the point.

What will happen after I submit a report?

this is a common problem with new deployments, they are not very distinct and can tend to lose momentum if the value proposition is not super clear to folks speeding by.

Chris

On Jan 23, 2013, at 8:34 PM, paul baines <baines.paul@...> wrote:

hi everyone,

i started an Ushahidi map last spring to support a range of work being done for the Great Lakes. it's called the Great Lakes Commons Map.

i'm hosting an event in Toronto on Sunday, February 3rd to showcase the site, but to also some needed feedback and direction. the project is very interdisciplinary and merges knowledge/skills in community mapping, digital storytelling, and of course open source technologies.

right now i have a pretty 'thin' development team and i'm looking for some new interest from the Ushahidi community.

if this project interests you in anyway, please consider checking out the site, getting in touch, and even coming on the 3rd if you're in the area.

event link:
http://impossible.ws/event/collaborative-mapping-using-place-based-storytelling-connect-our-great-lakes

map link:
http://www.greatlakescommonsmap.org

thanks so much. the Ushahidi platform is really making a difference to this water movement.
paul baines